Would you like any Grey Poupon?

So here is our last run of England posts before I race to catch up with all that has happened since we've been home. This is a quick photo tour of some of the awesome formal hall dinners and delicious cream teas we attended while at Cambridge.

Cream tea:

You show up and stuff your face with fancy sandwiches, cream cakes, other cakes, and of course scones (with or without raisins) covered in raspberry jam and clotted (sweetened) cream. With some peppermint tea on the side. Can you ask for anything better than that?

Formal Hall:

Dressed to the nines (or whatever you brought in your suitcase - thanks, Mikelle!) you enjoy a relaxing evening on the lawn (usually reserved for faculty only but sometimes they make exceptions...) for drinks (orange juice for the Mormons, wine for everyone else) and stimulating intelligent conversation (not always the easiest thing, but we tried) before the servants usher into the grand hall where, after standing at the ring (or "bang" or "gong") of a gong we listen to a prayer in Latin and are served a many-coursed meal with lots of utensils and - you guessed it - free wine for everyone (I learned to really like bubbly water). Again, stimulating conversation is a must, all the while trying not to drip caviar, honeycomb cream, and other delicacies on me or my husband. Ah, the posh life.

(This is butter)

We sure loved our time here!!!!

Punting

Punting = a relaxed, romantic, meandering float down the River Cam behind the Colleges at Cambridge meant to open your mind and enlighten your intellect.

And it is also a lot of fun!

Dustin was a natural - he did a great job punting me around. Nice break for me!!!

It was nice to have our friends Jordan and Katie come along as well.

I didn't do too badly... I only ran into the side of the Cam once :)

Aah... I love Cambridge. We LIVED here! There is nowhere else in the world quite like this.

So. much. HOMEWORK!

So, if you Skyped with us you know that we spent lots and lots and LOTS of time in the libraries at Cambridge - we know them really well by now. These first ones are of Pembroke - the library by our room. It is quaint and very comfortable to be in.



The next ones are King's College Library. It is a bit bigger and had computers inside the library so we spent a lot of time here. We pulled a couple all-nighters here and then had to wake up the night porters to unock the main gate for us to go home. Good times.

The Candyman Can :)

We are sorry we got so far behind on our blog. This week we'll post a bunch of last-minute wrap-up posts - beginning with this old-fashioned candy shop.



Yes, we walked in as the Willy Wonka "The Candyman Can" was floating up the spiral staircase past the walls and walls and walls stacked from floor to ceiling with CANDY! Seriously felt like we were in a movie.


We forgot to take pictures, but they had all the "normal" Harry Potter candy: Sherbet Lemons, Mars Bars, Fizzing Sherbert, licorice wands, etc. So much FUN!!

The end of an Era - HARRY POTTER FINISHED!

So.... We really wanted to have a post dedicated to all of the lovely Harry Potter sites we have traveled to - after all, this is the HP Mecca for die-hard fans. Stay tuned for a follow-up post with the robemakers and the great hall...

This is a genuine wand pre-magicification. The wand chooses the wizard, you know.

Yes, this is the exact spot that Harry had his first flying lesson as well. I was glad we got there and had our "experience" before the Japanese tour group caught up and the Asian girls started jumping up and down screaming and waving their cameras... oh puh-leeze.

The only disappointment about leaving before September 1st is that there is construction at King's Cross during the summer (off-season for Hogwarts) so Platform 9 3/4 was buried under scaffolding - not even my camera could make its way through the fences and caution tape, let alone a whole trolley. Ah, well, at least I can still believe it's possible to walk through walls...

This is Dustin trying out his first spell - and I must say he is a natural!

Yes, Potter fans, you are correct: this is the site where the books were conceived. The Elephant House in Edinburgh is the pub where JK Rowling created Harry on the back of a napkin.

We even got our hands on a Hogwarts' toilet seat! The Elephant Hosue wouldn't let us take it with us, though.

Yes, yes, we DID see the final Harry Potter movie. at midnight. in 3-D. IN ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even thought the books/movies have ended, the world of Harry Potter lives on. I was trying to get into the library early one morning and could not find the right button/card swipe/secret brick to tap until a lady walked up and showed me how to unlock the door saying "This is Cambridge, not Hogwarts." That must be our next study abroad destination then!

Way up north -- Hartlepool and Hadrian's Wall

On August 5th we embarked on a journey to explore the English countryside.

Above: Our lovely missionary tour guides and ever-so-gracious hosts. Aunt Barbara and Uncle Mel, thanks for making the trip possible!

We made it to Hartlepool just in time to see the sunset as we walked along the shoreline (couldn't really call it a beach).

At first sight of the North Sea Lu couldn't contain herself; she just had to jump right in. Looks like Lu needs to go to the ocean more often...

This is how you get wet feet in case you were wondering.

After sleeping in "the palace" missionary accommodations, we were off to see what England had to offer.

Our first stop was Alnwick Castle (pronounced Ah-nik). The same family has owned the castle for 700 hundred years and it was full of interesting history. The Earls of Northumberland and their family still live here for most of the year (minus tourist season).

What a beautiful day for travel, no?
Lu's ready for the attack on the castle. Can the cannons ward off the enemy?
Holy smokes! The enemy inside castle walls!
But of course we vanquished the foe in the end and all received honourary knighthood for our valour.

The next league of our journey was a few steps farther back in history: to the time of the Romans.

How often do you think about Roman soldiers roaming the British countryside? Well, in the days of Hadrian it was a common sight. (And as for our pant legs, no, we didn't jump in the ocean again--same result when you get caught in the typical English downpour....)

We trekked through the rain and mud and sheep pastures so we could hike on the ancient wall.

Hadrian's wall did not disappoint.

Again, we can't thank Aunt Barbara and Uncle Mel enough for this one. Driving in a car to all the places we wanted and eating wonderful food after weeks of second-rate cafeteria food really brightened our spirits.